Dnata buys Aviapartner’s Amsterdam business

The Belgian airline services group Aviapartner has sold its Amsterdam cargo handling business to dnata the Dubai based airport handling group. The agreement does not (yet) cover the
Brussels activities.

CargoForwarder Global reported in its 6.July issue that negotiations between both parties had reached a deciding stage.

According to Aviapartner’s Chairman and CEO Laurent Levaux the deal needs an official approval by the Dutch- and not the EU- authorities. This is expected between 5 August and 5
September.

As for Brussels, the CEO admits that Aviapartner wants to divest its cargo activity there as well, but the sale is not part of the present agreement with DNATA.

The Aviapartner division in Schiphol is the former Aero Groundservices, the largest neutral handler at the airport with an annual volume of 360,000 tonnes and a staff of 430. Included in the deal
are the Schiphol Animal Centre, the Temperature Control Centre and the airside handling activity.

Passenger focus
Aviapartner says that this transaction will enable the group to progress further towards its strategy of focusing on the development of its passenger handling activity, while disengaging from its
non-core cargo operations. After divesting its cargo activity at CDG (Paris) in 2013 and in Frankfurt in 2014, Aviapartner now hands over its Schiphol cargo warehousing and transport operations
to dnata.

Aviapartner Group will continue to operate and grow its existing passenger handling activities at Amsterdam airport, both for commercial airlines and for private aviation, says Levaux. “This
transaction is another step in Aviapartner’s strategy to focus on its passenger handling activity and grow its footprint in Europe, where the group is serving over 400 airlines and 70 Million
passengers every year, at close to 40 airports.”